Public Squares Are the Front Lines in the Fight Against Terrorism

Wreaking havoc in dense, urban areas—open cafés and markets, tourist hotspots, and public transit—has long been the modus operandi of terrorists. The tactics, however, are evolving. Vehicles have now become the new weapon of choice—and cities like Barcelona, London, and Nice in Europe, and Charlottesville in the U.S. have recently experienced the trauma they can cause.

This new reality is reviving a conversation among city leaders and architects about design tweaks that can secure public spaces against future threats. “The public square, civic infrastructure, are the front lines against this kind of attack,” Thomas Vonier, president of the American Institute of Architects said at CityLab Paris. “We need to rethink places where large numbers of people congregate.”